Apparatus for the treatment of gases or vapors with liquids



y 1936- H. s. SAYLES 2,042,127

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GASES OR VAPORS WITH LIQUIDS Filed Oct.1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HergySharrnck 5 a 1. 1'E5 y 26, 1936-H. s. SAYLES 2,042,127

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GASES OR VAPORS WITH LIQUIDS Filed Oct.1, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGURE- E.

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Nrrs STATES ATENT APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GASES OR VAPORS WITHLIQUIDS Henry Sharrock Sayles, Norton-on-Tees, England, assignor toImperial Chemical Industries Limited, a corporation of Great BritainBritain October 3, 1933 Application October 1, 1934, Serial No. 146,468-

, In Great scams. car-112i This invention relates to apparatus in whichgases or vapors are passed into contact with liquid films flowing overpacking composed oi! a plurality or vertical sheet elements arrangedtransversely in superimposed tiers, such for example, as in gas washingtor the removal of solid matter and/or undesired gaseous constituents.the absorption of gases in liquids, the cooling of liquids,distillation, rectification, or chemical rere actions in whichintimatecontact between gassons and liquid reactants is desirable. r

'In such apparatus it is important that substantially the whole of theliquid should flow down the surface of the packing in film formtionsince the free fall of liquid between the elements, hereinafter referredto as cascading, results in a serious loss of efilciency.

According to the present invention, apparatusof the kind describedincludes means for delivering liquid in film formation to the packingeler'nents, comprising collectors consisting or two or more closelyadjoining files or rows or parallel inclined sheets arranged one behindthe other, adjacent rows being inclined in opposite direc-- tions andadjacent sheets in each row being inclined to such an extent that thereis no vertical passage between them, so that liquid delivered from abovethe said collectors is distributed over both sides of the subjacentpacking elements without appreciable cascading and without substantiallyrestricting the flow of gas or vapor.

The collector sheets may be used in conjunction with any approved formof distributor to deliver the liquid on to the uppermost tier of thepacking, the sheets being inclined to such an extent that there is novertical passage between adjacent sheets in each row. The lowermostedges of the sheets must be so placed relative to the uppermost tier ofthe packing elements that the liquid falling from the collector sheetsis directed on to the surface of the packing; thus the lowermost edgesof the sheets may touch the top of the packing elements, or if desiredthe sheets may be made integral therewith. It is important that the rowsof sheets should adjoin as closely as possible since otherwise the gapswould permit a free fall of liquid through the packing. I The packingmay be composed of a plurality of vertical metal sheet elements arrangedtransversely in superposed tiers, and each tier may interlock withadjacent tiers by means of slits in the component vertical sheets, thewhole or part of the tongues formed by the slits at the top of each oi.the sheets forming each tier being inclined alternately in oppositedirections to term collector sheets.

The width of the collector sheets is preferably small compared with thewidth 0! the subjacent packing elements to which they deliver liquid, 5

so that the liquid is distributed substantially uniformly over botlsides 01 the said packing elements. Collector sheets may be provided atthe top of each tier oi' packing elements, and this is especiallyadvantageous when high rates 0! 1o liquid fiow are used, since otherwisethe liquid is liable to cascade instead of flowin from tier to tier infilmiormatlon.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of several tiers of elements -and collectorsembodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of portions of three of the packingelements and collectors belonggo I ing to three separate tiers of theelements shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof a modified form of the invention, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are end elevations or profile views of modified forms ofcollectors.

Referring to the drawings, more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, thepacking comprises a number of vertically disposed rectangular planesheet elements 1 of suitable metal, such as aluminum, 30 arranged insuperposed tiers, the elements in each tier being substantially parallelto one another and arranged in contact with and transversely to those inthe next tier, said elements being provided with equally spaced slots 2along 86 their upper and lower edges.

As has been previously emphasized an important feature of this inventionresides in the provision of means for delivering liquid in filmformation to the packing elements in such a way 40 that cascading isminimized and, maximum efficiency is attained without substantialrestriction of the flow of gas or vapor. In the present instance, suchliquid delivery means comprise collectors'or collectingplates or sheets3, which 4 in the upper edges of the elements I in one tier with theslots 2 in the lower edges of the elements in another tier. Thus aplurality of closely adjoining rows or files of substantially parallelinclined collector sheets 3 are provided, adjacent rows being inclinedin opposite directions and in such a way that the vertical passagesbetween the packing elements are substantially completely masked, sothat liquid delivered from above the said collector sheets isdistributed in film formation over both sides of the subadjacent packingelements without appreciable cascading and without substantiallyrestricting the fiow of gas or vapor. In the example illustrated, thecollector plates 3 are made integral with the packing elements I. butthey can be made separately and when so made, the lowermost edges of thecollector sheets may touch the top of the packing elements, but in anyevent the lowermost edges of the collector sheets must be so placedrelative to the uppermost edges of the packing elements that the liquidfalling from the collector sheets is directed on to the surface of thepacking.

The tongues or collector sheets 3 areinclined alternately in oppositedirections and the width of said collector sheets is preferably smallcompared to the width of the subadjacent packing elements to which theydeliver liquid because this results in the liquid being distributedsubstantially uniformly over both sides of said packing elements.

In Figs. 1 and 2, collector sheets 3 are provided at the top of eachtier of packing elements and this arrangement has certain definiteadvantages, but it is not necessary within the broad scope of theinvention and the collectors can be eliminated from the packing elementsin the tiers below the uppermost, as in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3 the packingelements I e and I are plain, the elements in the upper tier resting onor being in contact with the transversely arranged elements of thesubadJacent tier, there being no interlocking of the elements in the twotiers. The collector sheets 3 of Fig. 3 are inclined altemately inopposite directions and small in widthas compared to the width of thesubadJacent packing elements I, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 1-3 inclusive, the collector sheets are plane in cross-sectionor profile, ,but it is ob-- vious that these collectors may have variousprofiles, two examples of which are illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, Fig. 4showing curved or convex collector sheets 1 and Fig. 5 showingoppositely curved or concave collector sheets 3 it being understood thatthe lower edges of these '5 collector sheets direct liquid to the upperedges of subadjacent packing elements.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exactconstruction and arrangements shown and described and that va- '10 riousmodifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for treating gases or vaporswith liquids, comprising apacking composed of a plurality of vertical sheet elements arrangedtransversely in superposed tiers, and means for delivering liquid infilm formation to'said elements comprising collectors consisting of twoor more closely adjoining rows of parallel in-- clined sheets, adjacentrows being inclined in opposite directions and adjacent sheets in eachrow being inclined to such an extent that there is no vertical passagebetween them, the bottom edges of the collector sheets beingsubstantially parallel to the top edges of the subadjacent packingelements so that liquid delivered from above the said collectors isdistributed over both sides of the subjacent packing elements withoutappreciable cascading and without substantially restricting the flow ofgas or vapor.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the width of the collectorsheets is small compared with the width of the subjacent packingelements to which they deliver liquid so that the liquid is distributedsubstantially uniformly over both sides of the said packing elements.

'3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which collector sheets areprovided at the ,top of each 40

